Sunday Summary – September 11, 2016

Today is the 15th Anniversary of the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Although not usually the top headline, the attacks have also impacted the conversation on transportation and land use from security guidance in the American Planning Association policy guide to more obvious bollards and reinforcements around government buildings. Perhaps a streets.mn writer (or you, because you can write for us, too) will continue to consider the impacts on our communities’ built and human environments. But back here in Minnesota, here’s the week on streets.mn:

There are two very different posts criticizing the proposal. Downzoning Does a Disservice to Minneapolitans of All Ages follows 96-year old Tank around the neighborhood to show the “real life impacts to a half-century of downzoning. For those who move at 2 MPH, it means that when we’re in Lowry Hill East, Tank can easily be a five to ten minute walk from the closest shelter during an unexpected downpour (as happened to us recently)” as well as few restrooms, shelter, and poor sidewalks close to traffic or covered with snow. For Tank’s ghostwriter, downzoning is “a direct reflection of our city’s priorities and values. It doesn’t move us towards zero-waste or encourage creative reuse or recycling. It doesn’t center our disabled community members or work towards increased independence under the Olmsted Act. It doesn’t orient itself to the future and the changing needs of aging Baby Boomers.”

Downzoning Can’t Save Us From the Future from John Edwards (also see his earlier post on this issue here) focuses on housing in the Wedge and takes on arguments for the downzoning on the basis of preserving the character of the neighborhood: “So when we talk about preserving neighborhood character, keep in mind what downzoning can and can’t do: it can stop a new apartment building, but it won’t prevent your duplex from becoming a single-family house, and it won’t protect a low-end apartment from a high-end renovation. Downzoning doesn’t actually preserve what we have, and it can’t protect us from the future. But it can make our other housing problems worse.”

And that’s the week on streets.mn. For folks from Northfield like me, this weekend is the annual Defeat of Jesse James Days celebration which marks the start of Fall far more than Labor Day – there’s still time for metro folks to drive south for the parade and a bank raid re-enactment today (and cheese curds and other food you may have missed at the State Fair) before really getting back to school, working on election campaigns and other Fall stuff. Have a great week!